Denzel Washington candidly reveals the only time he's ever been 'starstruck'

Denzel Washington is widely considered to be one of the greatest actors in cinema history, but even he can get a little startruck.

The Oscar-winning actor portrays the manipulative slave-owner Macrinus in the upcoming blockbuster Gladiator II and appeared on The One Show today (Tuesday, November 12) to promote the highly-anticipated release.

Appearing on the show with his co-stars Paul Mescal and Connie Nielsen, he avoided referring to his complex character as “scheming”, instead agreeing with guest presenter Clara Amfo that he’s simply “resourceful”.

Looking back on his incredible career, which spans six decades on stage and screens, Washington revealed he’s rarely fazed by his other co-stars’ fame.

“I don’t think so, that I can remember,” he shared.

However, peering way back to his first film role in the 1981 comedy Carbon Copy, he shared his experience working with an Oscar-nominated actor.

“The first movie I ever did was with George Segal,” he recalled. “But, by the time I got onto the set I had done so many auditions with him.”

Although he never got the privilege to act alongside the next star he brought up, he couldn’t help feeling the pressure when he met an acclaimed actor from cinema history.

“I didn’t work with him, but meeting Sidney Poitier…” he reminisced. “I definitely was starstruck.

“Because he was sort of the Northern Star for me as a young, Black actor. He was the only one that… if he made it, I maybe had a chance.”

Washington’s appearance on the talk show came hot on the heels of a bombshell announcement from the Hollywood star.

Speaking with Today, the Training Day and Malcolm X icon shared that he’s planning to retire after his next crop of films.

“I don't know how many more films I'm going to make,” he shared. “Probably not that many. I want to do things I haven't done. I've played Othello at 22, I'm about to play Othello at 70. After that I'm playing Hannibal [the historical war general].

“After that I've been talking with Steve McQueen about a film. After that Ryan Coogler's writing a part for me in the next Black Panther.

“After that I'm going to do the film Othello. After that I'm going to do King Lear. After that I'm going to retire.”

He’s also signed on to director Spike Lee’s remake of Akira Kurosawa’s classic crime film High and Low, so fans of the star can rest assured he still has plenty of new projects in the works before he bows out.

The One Show airs weekdays at 7:00pm on BBC One.

Gladiator II is in cinemas from Friday, December 15.